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STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Mike Gundy, who affirmed his commitment to Oklahoma State this week following reported interest from Tennessee, is getting a raise.
The Oklahoma State football coach tweeted "Cowboy For Life" earlier this week after he was linked to the Vols' open job. And on Friday, the Oklahoma State/A&M Board of Regents approved an addendum to Gundy's contract that includes a $675,000 pay increase, bumping his salary to $5 million per year.
The change also increases a buyout provision in the contract from $3 million to $5 million if Gundy leaves early.
Gundy, who had signed a five-year contract extension in June, is Oklahoma State's longest-serving and most successful head football coach. He has led the Cowboys to 10 or more wins five times. They won the Big 12 title in 2011, the same season he won the Eddie Robinson Award for National Coach of the Year. Under him, the school has played on four New Year's six bowl games since 2010, including the 2016 Sugar Bowl.
This season, the Cowboys finished the regular season with a 9-3 record. His quarterback, Mason Rudolph, just won this year's Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award. Rudolph and receiver James Washington are up for several other major awards.
Gundy's value at Oklahoma State goes way beyond on-the-field success. His epic "I'm a man, I'm 40" rant in which he defended a player against a newspaper article 10 years ago has millions of social media views and still gets airplay today. The mullet hairstyle he has worn for the past two years has been overwhelmingly popular with fans. He took his shirt off at a pep rally the day before this year's Homecoming game, and the crowd went wild.
Before his coaching run, he was one of the most successful Oklahoma State quarterbacks. He ended his career as the Big Eight Conference's all-time leader in passing and total offense.
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